Loose Ends
by Melissa Rivers
Summary: Tag to Episode "2001", previously published in Ad Astra Per Aspera 3. The team take time out after the events of 2001 and nothing is ever easy


Loose Ends

by

Melissa Rivers

TITLE: Loose Ends

AUTHOR: Melissa Rivers

EMAIL: missy@lexicon.net

CATEGORY:Tag to 2001

SPOILERS:Major spoilers for 2001 and Between Two Fires; Minor ones for Ascension, Solitudes, Singularity, Divide & Conquer,

RATING:PG13

SUMMARY: A follow up to that last scene

STATUS:Complete

ARCHIVING: Heliopolis; Stargatefan; Otherwise, not without permission.

DISCLAIMER:

Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions and Gekko Productions. I have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. AUTHOR NOTES:

Thanks to Denise for giving it a once over and providing essential geographical material, and to Rowan and Bri for the military info.

The doors closed quietly, the silence ominous for the fate of Earth at the hands of the Aschen. Sam Carter and Joe Faxon were effectively sealed in the room aboard the harvester. Any hope to warn the SGC of how the Aschen planned to accomplish the slow annihilation of the human race snatched away. A plan that also included turning Earth into an efficient and productive land of Oz.

"I'm sorry," Sam apologised. Anger simmered within her at the passive way in which Mollen and Borren had calmly dismissed their actions towards the Volians; actions which were undoubtedly not limited to one world. They were as parasitic as the Goa'uld, stealing and denying life with no thought for the lives they were affecting.

"What do you think they will do?" 

"I don't know," Sam said quietly, a sense of helplessness pervading her being.

"O'Neill sent the note to prevent this from happening," Joe pointed out, wishing that he had not been able to convince the President that the contents were probably of no consequence. It had been easy to dismiss it; the offer of protection from the Goa'uld more lucrative to earth. The words on the note had been inconsequential; the cause of the blood unconfirmed. It was all circumstantial evidence and any Court of law would have deemed it inadmissible. Except, in retrospect, those simple words spoke volumes.

Sam looked away, berating herself for always being logical. Jack had pointed out that it was probably her idea to keep the words limited, to reduce the causality violation factor. A picture may paint a thousand words, but apparently blood did not shed the same amount of light despite the implications it held. The Colonel's rank and signed warning had proven ineffectual in saving the fate of earth from the control of the Aschen.

"We were so sure," Joe muttered softly. He recalled the meeting with the President and Joint Chiefs of Staff. It had been deemed that the offer of security from the System Lords and medical advances far outweighed bloodied words on paper. 

"Listen," Sam silenced his words. The familiar sound of the inner circle of the Stargate turning and the locking of the chevrons caught her attention. "They're dialling the Stargate." 

She ran out of the room to the balcony with Joe following closely behind. Leaning over the rail, Sam watched the Stargate slowly descend into a horizontal position on its maneuverable axis. The third chevron locked into place. Fear filled her as she realised the address that the Aschen were dialling. "They're dialling Earth."

A vibration filled the harvester. Another sound filled the air, more chilling than the first. Sam's mind was working overtime. She came up with possible scenarios for the cause, each one ending with a similar result; the destruction of Earth. 

"What is that?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out." Sam hit the catches securing her backpack to her shoulders, releasing its bulk in a well-practised maneuver which had the heavy bag dropping into her hands. Joe helped set it to the floor.

Opening the large central flap, Sam pulled out a heavy climbing rope. She secured it to the top rail, tossing its length over the rail. This was their chance to escape. "When I get to the bottom, follow me down. We will only have a few seconds over the Gate." Sam neglected to tell him that they would only have a few seconds before the Ashen attempted to destroy Earth. 

"What?" Joe couldn't believe that Sam expected him to go down what he perceived to be a flimsy piece of rope with her already dangling off the other end. It didn't look as if it would support one person, let alone two. He didn't think this was a very good time to inform her that he had flunked his physical education class.

"Just do what I tell you, when I tell you." Sam climbed onto the rail, balancing on the edge. She saw the fear in his eyes. "Trust me."

"Okay." Joe helped her over the edge and onto the rope. He watched as she slowly released the rope, carefully easing her descent downwards. The harvester was still moving slowly towards the Stargate and Sam hung over the luscious crops that hid the silent massacre of a nation.

A sound from within the sealed room distracted his attention as the last chevron was locked into place. The unstable vortex shot upwards and alongside Sam. She gripped the rope tightly, realising her position was precariously close.

"Where's Major Carter?" Borren asked the Ambassador as he entered the room, his eyes searching for the missing Major. 

Joe gave one last look at Sam, knowing that she needed extra time if she was to accomplish her mission. He didn't know exactly what she had planned but his knowledge of the Stargate programme told him to trust that it would work if she could finish it. 

He ran back inside the room, knocking Borren off his feet in a flying tackle. The two men hit the ground hard, the force of the impact stunning Borren.

The harvester was almost in position and Sam quickly tapped in SG-1's code into the GDO, the signal being transmitted back to earth through the open wormhole.

"Ambassador, now!" Sam called out, wondering where Joe had disappeared to. Time was running out; they needed to get through the Stargate now. The harvester continued its slow crawl, like an oversized slug, over the Gate. Sam guessed that they weren't going to be delivering a truck load of manure to the SGC. 

Moments later, the truth of the Aschen's intent was revealled. A pulsating blue orb was transported out of the cargo hold. It was held in position by a metal mechanism, stopping several feet below the opening. Sam looked down at the Gate. It would not be long before the harvester would be able to deliver the bioweapon through the Stargate to Earth. Normally, the iris would have protected Earth but she had sent through her code. 

"Go!" Joe leaned over the rail, his eyes trying to convey the regret that their tentative relationship was never going to be explored. Looking down at Sam dangling precariously over the shimmering Stargate, he wished more time had been in their favour. Right now, he was desperate for her to live. He was giving her the opportunity, his eyes begged her to take what he was offering her and make the most of it. Joe gave her a small nod, giving her the okay to leave him behind. Out of the corner of his eye, Joe caught sight of Borren moving and manipulated the fight away from the railing. If he was going to die for Earth, he was going to give Sam the best chance to save it. 

Time seemed to stand still as Sam realised the sacrifice the Ambassador was making for not only her, but also an entire world. She looked down at the shimmering circle below, gazed back towards the vacant railing. Closing her eyes for a moment and gritting her teeth, she made her decision. Pulling her knife from its sheath, Sam cut through the climbing rope. As she fell backwards towards the event horizon, she tossed her knife sideways, out of harm's way.

Sam knew that her landing was going to be hard. She attempted to put all her training into action and minimalise her injuries as she burst through the middle of the Stargate. Rolling over, her arms protecting her head, Sam hit the metal grate ramp with her back, her shoulder taking the main force of the initial impact. The pain caused her to release herself from the protective ball and her left hand struck the metal surface as she continued to roll down the ramp before coming to a stop at the bottom. 

"Close the iris," Sam called out, biting back the temptation to verbalise the sea of epithets that flooded her brain. Agony emanated from various parts of her body. Right now, her shoulder was protesting the most and her left hand cradled it in its current position. She didn't need anyone to tell her that it was dislocated. 

A medic was immediately at her side. He couched down, supporting her head with his left hand and probed her collar bone. She gritted her teeth tightly to stop herself from crying out from the pain and also to stop herself knocking him off his feet. Sam didn't think Janet would be gentle with her in the infirmary if she left-hooked one of her medical officers. 

The iris snapped shut. General Hammond and the rest of SG-1 looked on in shock. They hadn't expected to see their teammate come shooting through the Gate and hit the ramp with the same velocity Michael Jordan reserved for his slam dunks. Normally they would have rushed to her side, anxiously checking her for injuries. But they held back, allowing the medic to do his job. The surprising turn of events silenced Colonel O'Neill's usual sarcastic remarks and left them stunned into inaction.

General Hammond watched the medic at work, concern for Major Carter filling his round face. None of her injuries appeared to be life-threatening. The fact that she was conscious and giving an order helped alleviate his worry. He wanted an explanation of where Ambassador Faxon was and he could be sure that full and precise details would be forthcoming.

"What in God's name is going on here?" Senator Kinsey turned on Jack, knowing that his nemesis was sure to be at the root of it all.

Jack ignored the white-haired Senator whose face boiled with rage.

"When they knew we were onto them they launched a bioweapon." Sam leaned back further into the hand that held her head still, grimacing; the medic had hit another sore spot with his fingers. 

"Colonel?" Kinsey took a step closer to Jack, his actions attempting to menace the former SOP officer.

"I had to warn you. I couldn't wait for the Ambassador. I'm sorry, Sir." 

"Colonel, I asked you a question." Kinsey sought to break O'Neill's blatant ignorance of his call for an explanation. He was annoyed by O'Neill's second in command constantly diverting O'Neill's attention from his demands with her insignificant explanations.

"You did good, Major." Jack calmly told her, trying to relieve her obvious distress at having to leave the Ambassador behind. He had noticed how the Ambassador had been flourishing his second in command with judicious attention. She had been positively glowing under the good Ambassador's ministrations, and with the recent turmoil in her life, it had been good to see her genuinely smile, a sparkle of happiness lighting her eyes.

"Thank you, Sir." The tension visibly faded from Carter's shoulders and her face relaxed now that the burden of guilt had been eased by her superior's words of support.

"Let's get her to the infirmary, now," General Hammond ordered. A full debriefing could take place after Major Carter had been fully assessed and cleared by Doctor Fraiser.

"Colonel!" Kinsey realised that his tactics weren't working. He resorted to the classic threat that made even the most confident and cocky politicians sweat. "I swear O'Neill, there is going to be an investigation into this." He strode out of the room without a backward glance at the semi-circle of SG-1 and General Hammond surrounding Major Carter.

"Oh, that'd be fine. O'Neill - two l's," Jack called out to the retreating figure. He finally gave the annoying Senator the attention he deserved. Although, he was tempted to hold up two fingers, military training had him holding up a third to ensure that the message wasn't misread... but any misconception would have been right.

"I guess we dodged the bullet there." Daniel commented, wondering for how long they would be able to maintain their status quo.

"Senator Kinsey seems most displeased." Teal'c smiled, his face positively beaming with satisfaction at the way the Senator's feathers had been ruffled.

"Yeah. That's a crying shame, isn't it?"

"I just hope we don't regret giving them those Gate addresses," Daniel said, despondent that another world may suffer the same destiny as the Volians. 

"I don't think we will - the first one being a black hole and all. They get progressively darker after that." Jack thought about how the Aschen would be reacting and smiled. Sergeant Siler had had a field day coming up with the series of addresses that filled the criteria. Looking down at his second-in-command, he was concerned. "Carter, are you all right?"

"Just peachy, Sir." Heavy sarcasm laced the words. 

It wasn't often that Jack was on the receiving end of any sort of sarcasm from Sam. The fact that she was resorting to it at this time told him what she was not about to admit in front of an audience. "Where is the gurney?"

"Right here, Colonel." Doctor Janet Fraiser came bustling into the room with another medic in tow. 

"Hey, Doc. Nice to see you could make it."

"That's enough, Colonel," General Hammond warned. While he had allowed his acerbic senior officer to deal with Senator Kinsey, he wasn't about to have his Chief Medical Officer harassed.

"Hey, Sam." Janet crouched down beside the tall Major, visually assessing her. Sergeant Siler's page to the infirmary had informed her of Sam's spectacular mid-air tumble from the Stargate. It wasn't hard to decipher the immediate source of her pain. Janet's concern was more for the type of injuries that blunt force trauma generally induced. 

"Sam, I'm going to put on a c-collar." The requisite item was handed to Janet. Josh Tainton, a medic with ten years experience, held Sam's head in position as she slid the solid, white collar around her patient's long, slim neck. The stoic quietness of her patient was not unusual, but it did make it harder to assess the extent of her injuries.

"Is that necessary?" Daniel asked, concern furrowing his brow.

"Daniel, the last time you came flying through the Stargate you were rendered unconscious for twelve hours," Janet calmly reminded him. "The initial impact Major Carter sustained was mainly to her back and I am taking a precaution until I can view her x-rays." 

Doctor Fraiser looked up at sea of worried faces encircling her patient. She wanted to say that everything was all right with Sam, but the velocity at which she had come through the Stargate and hit the ramp had her cautious in any declarations. Until she had physical evidence to the contrary, she was treating Sam with the upmost care. At the moment, she was positive that Sam had maintained consciousness, but that was all she had been able to accurately ascertain.

Josh put the backboard down, which caused Sam to startle, pervasive anxiety filling her eyes.

"Janet?" 

"As I said, Sam, a precaution," Janet reassured her. With the assistance of the lithe medic, she gently rolled Sam onto her left side. Josh slid the backboard beneath her and they quickly had her strapped to it. The two medics lifted her up onto the gurney and Doctor Fraiser directed the gurney out of the Gate Room.

The four men watched them leave, still coming to terms with the fact that the seemingly simple mission had changed so drastically in the loss of one civilian and injury to one of their own. They had not expected the Aschen to take such a volatile response to the discovery of their real intent for Earth.

"Damn, it was not meant to end this way," Jack spat out the words. The need to know that his second-in-command was going to be all right overwhelmed him and he strode out of the room. Daniel and Teal'c were not far behind him, their faces mirroring the concern held by their commanding officer.

General Hammond watched them leave. He wanted to join them in the infirmary, but his duties as leader of this facility deemed that he would have to inform the President of the latest turn of events. Events that were sure to affect the future of the SGC. 

"Okay, let's move her over. On my count - three, two, one." Janet and her team of medical personnel began their routine examination of their patient. "I want cross-table c-spine, chest and pelvic x-rays. CBC, Chem 23, ABG, pulse ox and start an IV."

Josh used a heavy pair of scissors to cut through the tough material of the BDUs, giving Doctor Fraiser easy access to assess the injuries of her patient and limiting the pain caused to Major Carter in their removal. He replaced the missing clothes with a lightweight gown, leaving her right arm free from the material due to the injury to her shoulder.

"BPs 100 over 60, pulse 56."

Sam had trouble concentrating on what was going on around her, finding that the fluid spiel sounded like a speeding train, the words flowing into each other and accelerating, leaving her behind in their wake. Bodies were bustling about, moving various parts of her body to do tests, stating the results, and causing various degrees of pain to shoot through her body. She shut her eyes to push away the sensation of being on top of a torpedo, headed for a target over which she had no control.

Janet looked across at Sam's face as she moved her stethoscope over Sam's chest, listening intently for the telltale sound of a pneumothorax or haemothorax. She was concerned as she watched Sam shut her eyes tightly, the evidence of pain etched clearly on her face. 

Palpating her patient's abdomen, Janet was glad to find that there was no evidence of any abdominal injuries. Already the skin on her torso was changing colour, deep bruising extending down the right side of her body. Compression of the ribs revealled two lateral fractures. Sam reacted with a sharp intake of breath, trying to move her body away from the probing hands. 

"Hold still, Sam. I know it hurts, you've got two fractured ribs. Did you lose consciousness at all?"

"No, she didn't," Colonel O'Neill answered on behalf of his team member. 

Janet looked up, not surprised to find three worried SG-1 members standing guard at the end of the gurney. She hadn't noticed their arrival. Normally she would demand that they leave the room, but looking at the varying degrees of guilt flooding their faces, her compassion won through. It would have been a waste of breath anyway.

"You know where you are now?"

"Yeah. Earth." Sam looked up at her quizzically, then added, "the infirmary." Her attention was diverted as she felt her left arm being swabbed and an IV inserted. She turned head towards the dark haired nurse, watching the routine procedure with detached interest.

"Do you know what day it is?" 

She looked back at Janet inquisitively, blue eyes meeting brown, and she took a moment to digest the question before she confirmed the date, day and year.

"How do you feel?" 

"Sore."

"Can you describe where exactly?" Janet gave her a concerned smile, encouraging her to elaborate.

"Shoulder, chest, back..." Carter trailed off, cataloguing the various sites of pain and discovering more areas as she began categorizing them.

"Anything else? Look up there." Janet pointed up in the air to indicate the direction she wanted her to look as she pointed her penlight into each of her eyes. 

"I've got a headache, and I'm tired," Sam answered shortly. She was forthright with her answers, wishing that she could go to sleep and forget the fact that another life had been lost to an alien race. She remembered Joe leaning over the balcony of the harvester, his eyes willing her to leave him behind. Sam closed her eyes, trying to avoid the pain of the loss; the enormity of the choice she had had to make coming back in full force. A single tear escaped, making a ragged trail down the side of her face. 

Daniel, noticing the solitary tear, moved to her side and held her hand gently. He didn't speak, allowing her to take comfort from his presence alone. Sam opened her eyes, blue iris' misty beneath a swath of unshed tears. A soft smile of thanks tugged at the edges of her mouth, grateful for his grasp connecting her to the present.

"Did you hit your head?" Janet moved to the head of the gurney and checked her for any signs of a skull fracture and examined her neck for spasm and bony tenderness. She slowly manipulated her head, checking for her range of movement.

"No, I don't think so." Sam tried to remember her fast flight out of the Stargate and down the ramp. She couldn't recall hitting her head, although with so many parts of her body connecting with the ramp, it wouldn't surprise her if she had. 

Janet checked the function of the cranial nerves. Then she continued her neurological examination with deep tendon reflexes for all four limbs keeping her movements smooth and easy as she changed her position around the gurney. 

"Okay, we'll take you to get those x-rays and then I'll reduce your shoulder." Janet finished filling out the chart, handing the folder over to the medics ready to wheel the gurney through to the radiology section of the infirmary. 

Daniel tried to move out of the way, but Sam continued to hold his hand. Looking down at her, her eyes silently asked him to go with her. He glanced across at Janet, seeking her approval. The petite doctor simply nodded, concern for her patient's physical and emotional well-being her top priority.

The burly Jaffa had watched the examination through guarded eyes, concerned that his teammate and friend had been injured. It twisted his heart to see her suffer physically, but he also knew that her spirit had sustained a blow that no medical treatment would be able to touch. He understood the pain caused by the loss of comrades, friends and family and followed the gurney to radiology, lending his silent presence in support.

Jack watched the small procession leave the infirmary, a frown furrowing his brow. "Doc? How is she?" 

"Extremely lucky," Janet answered guardedly, turning to face the Colonel. "She's sustained a dislocated shoulder, two rib fractures, extensive bruising to her right side and lacerations to both hands. There doesn't appear to be any spinal injury, but the x-rays will determine that for sure. Emotionally, I can't say. What happened?"

"We're not sure. All we know is that the Aschen launched a bioweapon, intending to strike Earth. She made the choice to save Earth, leaving Ambassador Faxon behind. Major Carter will have to provide us with a full report when you give clearance."

"It'll be at least twelve hours before I'll consider releasing her," Janet pointed out, saddened to think that Sam had been forced to make another heart wrenching decision. Over the last year, she had been placed in that position too many times, where she had to overrule her emotional attachment in the face of worldwide catastrophe.

Having been brought up with a military background, Sam had borne witness to many decisions and situations which had required compassion to be put aside. But as Janet fully understood, it did not make it any easier. Sam was full of compassion, an emotion which she had allowed on occasion to escape the rigid control of her military upbringing, to put her life on the line to comfort Cassandra and at the opposite end of the extreme, had taken the life of Martouf to save him from his own painful self-destruction as a Za'tarc. 

"Colonel, make sure you all keep a close eye on Sam. She is going to need all the support she can get right now. We don't need a repeat of what happened after Jolinar."

Jack didn't need to ask why Doctor Fraiser decided to tell him what Sam was going to need. Ever since the events the previous year with Anise and her little armband fiasco, he had attempted to steer clear of his second-in-command outside of their professional relationship, to keep it uncomplicated by the emotions which they had both had discovered stirring beneath the surface and revealled to each other when the Goa'uld had introduced Za'tarc technology into members of the SGC and Tok'ra.. Emotions that, in another time and another place, might have brought about a difference in their relationship. 

He remembered the disastrous week after the demise of the symbiote, Jolinar, within Sam only too well. Sam had pulled away from everything and everybody, her mind a mere shell of the vibrant scientist and an Air Force officer. Jack made a conscious decision not to allow that to reoccur. "How long before she comes back?"

"Probably fifteen to twenty minutes."

"I'll be back."

Doctor Fraiser watched him leave, his shoulders squared and his heavy boots hitting the floor in an even drum beat. A frown puckered her brow as she pondered his mission. From the determined look in his eye, she would not envy anyone who tried to stop whatever plan he had in mind. 

Jack knocked on the closed door, waiting only a moment before entering General Hammond's domain. The General was seated at his desk, his hand resting on the red phone and gazing into space. 

"Colonel O'Neill, how is Major Carter?"

"Dislocated shoulder and two fractured ribs. Doc Fraiser's waiting for the results of the x-rays to rule out any spinal injuries."

"How long before she can debrief?"

"Doctor Fraiser has indicated a minimum of twelve hours." Jack watched the General carefully. Working closely with him over the last five years had brought not only a respect for the older man, but also the ability to read the minute twitches of eyebrows and finger and the flicker of his eyes, indicating a more serious problem. "Who's pushing for details?"

"We lost an Ambassador, Colonel O'Neill." General Hammond stood up and walked into the briefing room, staring at the large, circular Stargate, seeking to draw inspiration from its alien construction. The Stargate technology had given him the most inspiration of his career, and at the same time provided him with the most insistent and pulsating migraines. "They don't treat it like a lost MALP. It draws considerable attention - namely that of the President and the Joint Chiefs. Both are demanding full details immediately."

"Oh, I could explain that easily. If they hadn't ignored my note..." Jack placed his hands on the back of the visitor's seat.

"I don't think that argument's going to be appreciated, Colonel, in light of the circumstances, and I would not recommend mentioning it in the presence of Senator Kinsey." General Hammond turned his back on the window and gave Jack his full attention. 

"Ah, yes, the good old Senator. Pity we didn't send him with Carter - she could have left him behind."

General Hammond couldn't help smiling to himself. He couldn't agree more with Colonel O'Neill's sentiments. Looking down at his highly polished shoes, he quickly covered his mirth. As the commanding officer of this facility, he shouldn't be seen to be encouraging insubordination and lack of respect for those in charge of the finances for the SGC. Although, Colonel O'Neill didn't require any such encouragement; his reputation preceded him.

"Colonel, much as I don't like Senator Kinsey's approach, our funding is reliant upon the senate committee's approval."

"We may need to publicly list the SGC for future funding, Sir," Jack quipped taking the sting out of the real possibility that could face the SGC if it did not produce more profitable results.

"Hmm, I'll make sure you are involved in the preparation of the prospectus," General Hammond said.

It was easier to make light of the current events, rather than dwell in the impending investigation threatened by Senator Kinsey over the events leading to the loss of Ambassador Faxon in the hands of the Aschen. 

Both military officers had faith in Major Carter that she had taken the only option available to her, but the time until she was able to give such an account was going to be very demanding as explanations were sought.

"General, I need to discuss something with you..." Jack started putting the basis of his plan into place.

Teal'c located Doctor Fraiser in the drug locker. "Doctor Fraiser, Samantha Carter has returned from radiology. The results of the x-rays are contained in this envelope." 

"Thank you, Teal'c." Janet was surprised that Teal'c had been the one to seek her presence. She took the envelope from him and gathered the drugs that she would need for the shoulder reduction. 

Before she went in to see Sam, Janet turned on a viewbox, checking the x-rays carefully. Teal'c towered behind her, his dark eyes watching her movements silently. 

"Looks good, Teal'c. Nothing more than I'd already anticipated." 

Sliding the x-rays back into the envelope, she went to see her patient. Janet walked across to the second bed in the four bed ward. Sam's eyes were closed, her hand still caught within the calming grip of both of Daniel's hands. He was gently massaging the back of her hand, the movement obviously bringing some relief from the pain. 

Josh was hanging up the IV bag on the pole at the head of the bed. A blood pressure cuff encased Sam's slim arm and a pulse ox monitor had been clipped to her middle finger on her right hand. A cardiac monitor was ready by her bedside for the shoulder reduction. With Sam's additional injuries, Janet had decided to provide a conscious sedation to abolish all muscle spasm.

"Josh, 10mg of Versed and 0.2 mg fentanyl IV," Janet instructed, handing the drugs over to him. The dosage was higher than the usual amount advised for sedation of a patient to perform the procedure, but Sam's blood chemistry had interfered with other procedures in the past often enough that Janet had the required dosage almost down to a fine art.

Placing the x-rays on the portable table at the end of the bed, Janet commented, "Good news, Sam. There's no sign of any spinal injury. Your shoulder has dislocated cleanly without any evidence of a fracture." Since the x-rays had shown no sign of spinal injury, Janet removed the c-collar from around Sam's neck.

Sam opened her eyes at the words, a bit disorientated at suddenly being brought back to the present. She had been talking her way past the pain that was ricocheting through the various parts of her body. In Antartica, even though she had shot through the gate at a fast pace, she had not sustained any significant injury. Now, she was experiencing it in full force and knew the pain that Colonel O'Neill had gone through in the frozen wasteland.

"What about her chest and hand?" Daniel asked.

"Just the two rib fractures that I palpated earlier. Again, clear breaks and no reason for concern. What's this about her hand? I noticed the lacerations from the rope burns."

"No, she's done something to it when she hit the ramp. She can't move her fingers properly."

Janet moved across to have a look at her hand. Daniel moved out of her way, placing his friend's hand gently down on the bed covers. 

Running a critical eye over the hand, she could easily see where the problem was and berated herself for missing it earlier. The side of Sam's hand was swelling and the impact with the grate had torn at the delicate skin. 

"Okay, Sam. I'm going to have to manipulate your hand to make sure there is no serious damage," Janet told her calmly. Methodically, she ran through the series of tests for flexion and extension in the hand, relieved to find that the damage appeared to be limited to a sprain of the proximal interphalangeal joint of the little and ring fingers. 

"That's good, Sam. It only appears to be a sprain, but you'll have to go back to radiology for another x-ray after I've reduced your shoulder. I'll do that once the drugs begin taking effect."

"Daniel, Teal'c. While I reduce her shoulder, why don't you both go and get something to eat and drink,"Janet suggested. 

The tone of her voice didn't beg for argument. Both left the room, but neither made a move to leave the infirmary, watching the doctor's movements from further afield. 

Janet placed the cardiac pads to Sam's chest and connected the monitor. Even blips monitored her heart rate and it wasn't long before the drugs took effect. With Sam's elbow flexed, Janet applied steady traction to the distal humerus. Pulling inferiorly and rotating the forearm externally very slowly, Janet was happy to feel the joint reduce. She tested the shoulder to ensure that the range of motion had been restored and immobilised the shoulder in a sling. 

"Let me know when she regains consciousness. I want to get another set of x-rays of her shoulder and hand as soon as she does." Janet wrote down the details of treatment on Sam's chart and went to talk with her teammates.

Looking at his watch, Jack increased his pace. He realised that he had been delayed longer than expected with General Hammond and Sergeant. Siler. The twenty minutes that Janet had mentioned had disappeared quickly as his proposed plan took form. 

"Jack, where have you been?" Daniel asked as he caught sight of his commanding officer coming down the corridor. 

"Sorting out a few things. Hammond's given us a week of downtime. How is she?" 

"Doctor Fraiser was satisfied with the results of Major Carter's x-rays," Teal'c's deep voice intoned. His burnished face had brightened as the news of his teammate's physical injuries being limited to those which would be healed with time.

"Janet's fixing Sam's shoulder right now." Daniel pushed himself away from the wall he had been leaning against. "Sam is really hurting, Jack."

"Yeah, I know. That's why I need your help." Jack detailed his plan to the two men, Daniel interrupting him with questions every now and then, which helped make the plan even more elaborate than the basic idea that it had begun with.

"Daniel, Teal'c, I thought I told you to go and get something to eat," Janet said tiredly as she left the infirmary ward. 

"I know you did, Janet, but Sam needs us here." Daniel nodded towards the unconscious form of his close friend. It was unusual for him to have to worry about her. Almost all of the times when she had been injured he had been occupying one of the adjoining beds. The fact that she had come shooting through the Stargate and been injured in the process had taken him by surprise. It had taken them all by surprise. 

"She's unconscious at the moment, Daniel. I had to sedate her to reduce her shoulder."

"Sedation? That's unusual. Doc?" Jack questioned, worried about the necessity for the sedation. He had dislocated his shoulder on a number of occasions and each reduction had been performed without the aid of sedation. 

"Not really, Colonel. Major Carter's other injuries would have been exacerbated by the reduction."

"Oh." Jack was comforted to know that his second-in-command's injuries were no worse than before he went to see General Hammond. "Teal'c says that the x-rays came back clear."

"Yes."

"Doc, General Hammond and I have been discussing your concerns about Major Carter and we've come up with a way in which we think we can help."

"I hope that I'm going to approve of this plan, Colonel."

"I hope so, too."

Teal'c sat straight in the chair beside Major Carter's bedside, his dark eyes gently watching his charge for the first signs on consciousness. This time the sedation had worked very effectively and Doctor Fraiser had become concerned when her patient had not regained consciousness within the predicted time span. 

Half an hour later, a minute twitch of Sam's left hand caught Teal'c's attention. Teal'c watched the hand, now swathed in bandages protecting the rope burns and an aluminium splint immobilising the two smaller fingers, carefully for further movement. An IV line continued to run at a steady pace, the tubing winding its way to the IV pole set above the head of the bed.

He shared Doctor Fraiser's concern for her patient. Wires from the cardiac monitor twisted around each other, the regular blips reassuring Teal'c that life was within Major Carter even though she was so pale and still in the bed. It was only in the infirmary that he had ever seen his teammate so motionless, her face devoid of the radiant joy she found in a new discovery or the intense concentration she exhibited performing her duties as a military officer. He admired the courage of his teammate as she carried out her duties and fought by his side for the redemption of the galaxy from the system lords. 

Prior to his introduction to the Tau'ri, he had never witnessed a female warrior and had been apprehensive when he had first been commanded to fight by her side. His concern had been short lived, Major Carter acquitting herself in his eyes very quickly.

Now, it was hard to believe the still, thin body tightly encased under the steely gray blankets was the same person. Teal'c witnessed further movement, a couple of sudden jerks of her feet, lightly kicking away at the restrictive blankets. As the involuntary movements became more frequent, a low moan escaped the pale lips before an anguished cry filled the room.

Standing up, Teal'c hit the call button before settling his heavy bulk on the edge of the bed. His large, calloused hand gently touched his teammate's face, his deep voice whispering calming words of reassurance in his native tongue. 

The movements calmed down under his gentle ministrations. Her eyes opened slowly, the blue iris' hazy with the effects of the sedative. The eyelids gently closed again, her brow creasing as she squeezed her eyes tightly shut before opening them once more. 

"Teal'c?" Sam said quietly, her head swimming. She ran her tongue around the inside of her mouth, trying to get rid of feeling like all the sands of Abydos had invaded it. Nausea assailed her as she slowly absorbed her surroundings.

"Major Carter, you are awake."

"Sort of. Where's Janet?" Sam murmured. It was a struggle to form the words. Her head ached, the pressure on her temples increasing with each movement of her head.

"Right here, Sam. How are you feeling?"

"I feel sick. Headache." 

"It's probably from the sedative. I found the right mix to knock you out. Just haven't managed to find the right drug to combat the nausea." Janet spoke softly, aware of the pain that loud voices and noises would bring on her patient. "Your shoulder has been reduced and your left hand is in a splint for the PIP sprain. 

"Thanks," Sam murmured.

Janet ran a quick neurological check to be on the safe side. Mention of a headache could not be treated lightly after the tumble that Sam had experienced. "Good. Everything appears to be fine. Your blood pressure is back to normal. Right now I want you to get some more rest."

"Hmm..." Sam mumbled, wanting to say more, but finding that her eyelids were slipping closed under the influence of pain medication and fatigue.

Janet looked down at her sleeping patient and gave a wry smile. The wonders of pain medication had culled any argument against the recommended rest. Usually, with SG-1, she virtually had to handcuff them to the bed as soon as they were conscious. 

"Two hourly obs, Josh," Janet commented as she completed the chart.

"Doctor Fraiser?"

"Teal'c, she is fine. She will most probably sleep until morning. Why don't you go and get some rest yourself."

"I told Colonel O'Neill that I would stay with Major Carter."

Janet realised that the Jaffa would not budge from Sam's side until Colonel O'Neill gave the all clear. It did not bother her to have someone by Sam's bed during the night, the burly Jaffa somehow managing to evade being in the way, despite his bulk. His presence ensured that in the event that Sam did wake prior to morning that someone would be there for her. 

Somehow Janet had an idea that this time around, with the added pressure of physical injuries that Sam would be forced to deal with the loss of Ambassador Joseph Faxon and not sweep it under the carpet, courtesy of work, as she had done with the recent loss of Narim and the Tollans.

An infernal, consistent beeping broke through the heavy layers of sleep. Sam tried to roll away from the sound, only to be brought quickly to consciousness by the sharp pain that emanated from her shoulder and ribs. 

"Careful, Sam," Daniel said quietly, placing his hand lightly on her left shoulder. 

Sam nodded, grimacing as the waves of pain washed over her before settling into a steady, dull throb. "Thanks," she whispered, opening her eyes to look at the concerned archeologist. "I'm fine, Daniel."

"The last time I looked in a dictionary, the word meant 'good health or well'," Daniel pointed out.

"I am in mind, my body's going to take a little bit of time catching up."

Daniel noticed that she had avoided any reference to spirit which, knowing Sam so well, had to have been deliberate. He tried to keep his face studiously bland, the intuitiveness between him and Sam could sometimes be a hindrance rather than an asset. Janet had been right in her assessment, he only hoped that her patient was going to be willing to go along with their plans. 

"Where's Teal'c?" Sam asked, looking behind Daniel for broad-shouldered Jaffa. During the night she had become accustomed to his comforting presence as vivid dreams dragged her back to consciousness.

"He left a couple of hours ago to meditate. Do you want me to get him?" Daniel was already getting to his feet, pushing his seat back.

"No." Sam pushed aside the bed covers, the cool air of the infirmary welcome as it helped clear the fogginess of her head. She tried to push herself up off the mattress unsuccessfully. "Daniel, help me up."

"Ah, Sam, I don't think that's wise," Daniel said, his hand automatically reaching out to support her, his actions betraying his words. 

"Daniel, it's probably not but I need to make a pit stop." With Daniel's help, she maneuvered herself into a sitting position. She paused as the room dipped and spun, glad that Daniel was still supporting her. "Whoa."

"Sam?" Daniel asked, concerned.

"Where are you going, Major?" A brusque voice interrupted them. Both stopped any further attempts to get Sam to her feet as they turned guiltily towards the petite doctor standing in the doorway. 

Janet walked into the room, the heels of her shoes rapping a crisp, staccato beat against the linoleum floor. Standing beside the bed, she ran a critical eye over her patient, noting that Sam was still pale other than a bright patch of colour highlighting each cheek.

"I need to go to the ladies room," Sam said, embarrassed that she had to detail her every action on the few occasions she was relegated to the infirmary. 

"I can get you a bedpan," Janet offered, trying not to smile as she made the offer. 

"Oh no. Not likely," Sam responded quickly.

"I'll do a deal," Janet said, crossing her arms. "You can get up and go to the toilet, but I want to examine you as soon as you return." 

"Done." Sam's eyes brightened at having won this debate so easily. She wanted to get off the bed quickly, before Janet changed her mind. She had to wait for Janet to remove the leads connecting her to the monitors and a mobile IV pole was pushed in front of her. Daniel cupped Sam under the elbow to help her down from the bed. Once her feet hit the cold floor, Sam was out the door without a look back at the two people judiciously watching her. 

Janet noted the rigid way she was moving, shook her head and muttered under her breath about stubborn colonels and majors. There was something in the military protocol which somehow made military officers into stubborn mules where their health was concerned. Getting them to a) treat their injuries b) take medication and c) give them a chance to heal was like yodelling in a vacant canyon. It didn't look like it was going to be different this time.

Daniel smiled as he caught the softly spoken words. "Janet, it's not going to be easy."

"Did I ever say it was?" Janet asked. "We all know Sam well enough to know that she'll be like an ostrich and use work to bury her head in work before she will face the reality of what's happened."

Daniel nodded, remembering the shock and sadness that he had glimpsed momentarily in the control room when she had understood that the Tollans and, more importantly, Narim had lost their fight against the Goa'uld. In the presence of the General, she had quickly covered her raw emotions and taken refuge in her work. 

Janet continued, "we witnessed it after Jolinar and the recent loss of the Tollans is only going to compound the situation."

"Doesn't military protocol require her to have counselling?"

"You still aren't up with the unwritten military protocol?"

"No," Daniel said slowly, not liking the direction this conversation was taking. "And I'm not sure I ever want to either."

"Basically, the military frowns upon personnel seeking counselling. In the time you've been with the SGC, your team has been placed in the front line on numerous occasions. Sometimes you have only been injured, other times you have lost not only fellow officers but also the lives of innocent civilians. On any of those occasions, can you recall an instance in which the military personnel has actively sought counselling?"

"No, but you've suggested it to me."

"Yes, Daniel, but you are not military. It would not be recorded on your service records, there for future reference. It stands out like a red flag in the military and would basically end a good officer's career. As a health care provider, it goes against all I have ever been taught to not follow through with psychological counselling, but I have to make a judgement call each time I deal with the fallout from covert missions."

"So basically, we are to act as counsellors for Sam in place of a psychologist because the military has a 'suck it up and get past it' attitude."

"Got it in one. And you know Sam, she's not only military she was brought up military."

"And you think we will be better counsellors for Sam?"

"Look, Daniel, you may not realise it, but your team knows each other better than most people know their own family."

Daniel smiled, thinking about the numerous times that he and Sam had argued over and discussed theories, much like siblings rather than co-workers. 

Janet caught sight of the patient in question returning down the hallway and quickly gave some advice. "A word of warning, Daniel. Don't molly-coddle her or you'll do more damage than good."

"You don't set an easy task."

"Now you know the joys of my job," Janet said pointedly.

Sam pushed the IV pole slowly ahead of her, each step measured and deliberately placed, striving to keep her balance steady in face of the feeling of being set in the middle of the sea during a violent storm, the room rolling unpredictably. 

Daniel watched her halting movements for a moment, before striding across to her side and taking control of the IV pole, offering his arm as support. He risked her wrath in undermining her independence, but was glad when all he received was a grateful smile as she used his proffered arm.

Catching a look of disgust that flittered across her face, Daniel asked quietly, "What's wrong, Sam?"

Sam was about to respond then thought better of it. "Nothing."

"Sam?"

"Do you know how difficult it is to go when you've got all this to contend with?"

"You were offered a bedpan."

The look that Sam shot him had Daniel struggling to stifle a grin at Sam's complaint. He'd been expected something more along the lines of her injuries rather than a typical O'Neill complaint. "Been there, done that. You've got my sympathy," he said, trying to keep a straight face and failing dismally.

Sam tried to be indignant at the way he was responding to her quibble, miserable as it had been. But looking at the comical expression on his face, her resolve failed and a giggle escaped, shaking her shoulders. As the small waves of laughter spread through her body, she stopped abruptly, realising that giggling was out of the question at this point of time. "Don't make me laugh." 

"Sorry."

"No, you're not."

"I'm sorry that you hurt your ribs laughing, okay?"

"I'll forgive you this time," Sam replied, a spark of teasing hidden in the undercurrents of her voice.

"Okay Sam, let's get you back into bed." Daniel and Janet helped ease Sam onto the bed, where she sat her bare feet dangling over the edge. 

"Can I lose all the attachments?"

As Janet began her exam, Daniel left the room, giving the two of them some privacy. 

"One step at a time. Let me examine you first and then I'll let you know." Janet ran quickly through the standard checks, noting that they were all back within normal range. Placing the stethoscope back around her neck, she gave Sam her opinion. "I would like to keep you in for another night... ahhhh...let me finish. But I am willing to release you as long as you follow my orders to the letter."

"No problem."

"You haven't heard them yet." Janet pointed out as she removed the IV line. "First of all, you need to make a conscious effort to breathe deeply, Sam. If you keep breathing the way you are you'll be back in here before the end of a week with pneumonia.. You will also need to make sure that you cough to stop fluid forming in your lungs." Before Sam could even attempt comment on that, she continued, "I'll give you an analgesic to help with the pain."

"You know I don't like taking medication." Sam finally managed to interject into the spiel.

Janet understood Sam's aversion to medication. Ever since her experience with Jolinar, prescribing medication had become a balancing act. Occasionally, she had got it wrong and the side effects had left the Major in a drunken stupor and totally frustrated by the sluggish effects it had on her functionability.

Crossing her arms in front of herself, Janet gave her ultimatum. "Sam, you have a simple choice here. You either stay here and I'll continue to pump in the medication through an IV or you can go home and take the tablets I prescribe. What's it to be?"

"Home," Sam said quickly, the thought of being attached to an IV line and restricted to the infirmary enough to make the choice immediately.

"Here's a rib belt. It will also help reduce the pain." Janet showed Sam how the belt was placed over the interior tip of the xyphoid process and tightened enough around the chest to obtain the maximum pain relief. "Leave it on for the next twenty-four hours and then use it intermittently over the next four days. Don't wear it when doing deep breathing and coughing exercises." 

"That's it?" 

"Almost. I'm placing you on two weeks medical leave, starting immediately. Two weeks of doing nothing, but relaxing. No solving all the problems of the universe in one day nor staying up half the night pondering some new theory."

"Two weeks?" Sam asked, incredulous at the amount of time Janet was demanding her to take off from everything that kept her mind active. It was the second time this year that Janet had enforced medical downtime and Sam had struggled with what to do, seeing as she had been essentially banned from the SGC and her work. 

"At the absolute minimum. No arguments." Janet stopped Sam before she even had a chance to get one word out. "Earlier this year, I was concerned about your health. When you take into account the demands placed on your body on a weekly basis, it is a wonder you don't need medical leave on a more regular basis. This time around your body is injured. Do the right thing and give it a chance to heal." Janet pleaded for Sam to use the intelligence she was well known for and apply it to her own health.

"She's not going to argue, Doc. Are you, Major?" Jack waltzed into the infirmary ward with a jaunty step, Daniel following in his wake. He raised his eyebrows as he questioned her, using her military rank to make her think before she answered him.

"No, Sir."

"See, it's settled. Come on, let's go."

"Go? Go where?"

"Home, of course."

"Of course," Sam replied with a sarcastic tone. "Just one question, Janet. How am I going to be able to do things like this?" She raised her bandaged left hand in the air, her right arm held securely to her waist in the sling.

"Colonel O'Neill, Doctor Jackson and Teal'c have agreed to take care of you which is the basis on which I am allowing you to go home," Janet told her.

"They are?" Sam gave her a stunned look, before her eyes pleaded with her not to subject her to their ministrations.

Janet ignored the look. "She's all ready to go. All she needs to do is get changed."

Sam had given a full accounting of the events on the Volian home planet when she had awoken that morning to both General Hammond and Colonel O'Neill. It had been difficult to relive the events and several times her voice had broken as she remembered Joe... Ambassador Faxon...leaning over the rail of the harvester and telling her to go. She had steeled herself against the tears that welled up in her chest, her upbringing enabling her to keep the emotion in check during the debriefing.

Now all she wanted to do was to go home and dwell in her misery. Misery over the loss of Joe and as she had encountered in recent times, the loss of several good men in the name of a cause that she sometimes struggled to remember. With the guys there, she would have to maintain her 'stiff upper lip' and bite back on giving in to the emotions which were threatening to overwhelm her.

"All set, Carter?"

"Ah...guys." Her tentative words stopped the two men and they both looked at her expectantly. "Clothes?" Sam grimaced and picked at the gown she had been forced to wear. 

"I've got that taken care of," Janet told her. "Gentleman, would you give us a few minutes."

Jack and Daniel left the room as Janet pulled the curtain around the bed. "Is everything organised?" Daniel asked.

"As ready as we can be. This is Carter we are talking about, the person who considers playing with a naquadah reactor as 'fun' and running test simulations as taking a break."

"Don't be too hard on her..."

"Hmm, that sounds good coming from the only person who equals her in managing to find work to do in his spare time. What do you two run on? Energizer batteries?"

"Very funny, Jack," Daniel responded dryly.

"O'Neill, Doctor Jackson," Teal'c greeted his teammates, his deep voice caressing the words as he spoke them. "Major Carter?"

"Doctor Fraiser is helping her get changed," Daniel said, answering the unspoken question. 

"Did you get everything, Teal'c?"

"As you requested, O'Neill."

"Good. All we need now is a mobile Carter."

"And it looks like she is ready," Daniel commented as the curtains were pulled back by Janet revealling a fully dressed patient.

"All set now, Carter?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, sir."

"Let's go."

"Not quite so fast." Janet halted the procession before it managed to take two steps into the hallway. "Pain medication, Sam? Teal'c, come with me and I'll give you the tablets and directions." Janet selected Teal'c knowing that Sam would not bother arguing with the Jaffa. Once he had been given an order, Teal'c stuck to it like gum to a shoe.

"Teal'c, we'll meet you at the car," Jack said, realising that it was going to take them longer than usual to make the walk, judging by Sam's current pace. 

Sam found the drive down the mountain surreal. A blanket of dappled clouds coated the sky, the cover intermittently broken by patches of clear blue. Sunlight broke through the leafy canopy, the golden rays illuminating the road like roving spotlights, disappearing and reappearing at random. A brisk wind spurred the clouds across the horizon, at the same time buffeting against the truck as Jack guided it down the twisted mountain road.

Sam closed her eyes against the glare, seeking to also avoid the rapid rate at which Jack was approaching the hairpin turns that curved the road one hundred and eighty degrees on itself as it wound its way down from the top secret base of the SGC hidden within the bowels of Cheyenne Mountain. 

Daniel voiced his concern for Sam's comfort as Jack hurtled his truck down the road, reducing speed only as he took a curve, before speeding up again as the road straightened.

"Daniel, I'm sure that Carter would indicate if my driving was bothering her." Jack looked across at the slim woman beside him. Her eyes were closed, the gentle sweep of her eyelashes a dark fan against the porcelain skin. In the large bucket seat, she looked fragile. It was a description he would never have associated with his capable second in command, yet observing her right now, he realised how close they had all come to losing her.

"Jack, I'm not sure that she would," Daniel counteracted, drawing Jack back into the driving debate.

"Teal'c, is my driving okay?"

"It is as you would say 'hair-raising'," Teal'c informed him, his words carefully chosen.

"Hair-raising? My driving is hair-raising?" Jack's eyebrows rose a couple of notches, and he met the gaze of the Jaffa in his rear-vision mirror. 

Teal'c returned his gaze evenly, raising one eyebrow in return as he answered, "Extremely so, O'Neill."

Sam broke into the conversation before it got into a childish game of 'do/do not' between the men, changing the subject completely. 

"Janet has grounded me for two weeks. How long are you guys going to be babysitting for?" she asked, finally voicing the question that had been running around her mind for the last twenty minutes since she had been ushered out of the infirmary.

"For as long as you require our presence, Major Carter," Teal'c stated. He had folded his tall form into the back seat of Jack's forest green Ford F250. Sam had protested when she had seen how he had to contort his large body into the rear, but Teal'c would not hear of Sam relinquishing her front seat to cater to his comfort.

"Janet's instructions were for you to rest, Sam. We are going to help ensure that you are able to do that. Jack and I have attended Housekeeping 101 with Lieutenant Simmons and Doctor Fraiser to ensure that we have the qualifications."

"Qualifications?" Sam used the rear-vision mirror to eye the archaeologist critically. 

"Yeah, for er, uhm, Sam-keeping." Daniel became tongue-tied, trying to find the appropriate description that would hopefully not land him in deeper water than that which he had inadvertently dived into.

"Sam-keeping?" Sam's voice raised a notch as she heard the description.

"Yeah. How to keep an inquisitive astrophysicist from going nuts from boredom," Jack piped in, saving Daniel from digging himself deeper into trouble. 

"What were the recommendations?"

"That's for us to know and you to find out."

"Aw, come on guys, you know how I hate surprises."

"Good things come to those who wait."

Heads swivelled to look at Teal'c , surprised that he had not distorted the cliche. Sam regretted the action immediately, a small groan of pain escaping before she could stop it.

"Carter?"

"Sam?"

"Major Carter?"

The three men questioned her simultaneously. Sam wanted to shake her head in disbelief. Each was as bad as the other in their own way. It was one of the reasons she avoided any mention of injuries. It only served to remind her that even though they treated her as an equal while on missions, the male chivalry was well and truly alive off duty. 

Her requisition for a zat gun as moral support during her convalescence had been quickly negated by Janet, citing that she didn't need any more SG-1 patients in her infirmary, particularly the ones she was most likely to shoot. 

"Shouldn't have twisted around like that."

"It's a killer on the ribs, isn't it," Daniel commented, rubbing his hand over his own ribs as he spoke. 

Sam just nodded in response, closing her eyes against the harsh glare of the sun filtering between the trees. The continuous flash of light, then dark, was causing her stomach to churn, despite the fact that she hadn't eaten for a while. Janet had been upset when she had not touched the lunch, citing that if she didn't eat dinner that night, she would be re-admitting Sam for the entire two weeks of her medical leave. Sam didn't doubt that she would and that one of her teammates would spill the beans the moment she failed to eat as commanded. 

"Holy Hannah, this is going to be a very long two weeks," Sam thought, sighing audibly. Moving her head against the headrest, she tried to find a comfortable position to rest for the journey home. Home. It was a place where she had always been comfortable, surrounded by images of family; little pieces of her past which didn't get to be on display at the SGC. 

Recently, it had become the epicentre of a storm in her career. Through the unsolicited invasion of her home by the alien entity, Orlin, had come the unauthorised surveillance by government officials of all aspects of her life and at the end of the day, an official reprimand on her personnel file. Home had come to represent failure; failure to nurture the friendships she had in the past; a failure to put her trust in the friends she had now. Her work was her life and the affair with Orlin had created a small rift that had shaken the even balance of the team. Maybe it was time to strike out into deeper waters and regain some of that trust and faith.

Daniel was glad when Sam's breathing changed into the light even breathing of sleep. He was unsure how successful Jack's plan was going to be considering he intuitively knew Sam was already building a wall of resistance. Resistance which had the potential to grow, particularly since none of them had informed Sam of their real destination. 

Jack eased his truck to the edge of the road, squinting behind his dark sunglasses toward the small, dirt track. Each side of the track was shrouded by dense, low shrubs. Tall trees swayed in the gentle wind like drunken sentinels keeping watch over their miniature mates.

"Daniel, are you sure you're reading that map right? Jack asked doubtfully.

Daniel mentally bit his tongue, stopping himself from making a scathing retort. It would serve no purpose to remind Jack that he not only read maps, but had also had on occasion created them for archaeological records. Not quite the same as the map he was reading here, but Daniel felt it qualified.

"Lieutenant Simmons went over the directions several times. He did mention that the track leading to the cabin was fairly obscure. Apparently his parents like it that way." Daniel leaned forward to get a better look at the concealed road. For the short distance that he could see before the track disappeared into the shadows created by the overgrown greenery, Daniel noted two deep grooves running parallel in the dirt. 

"O'Neill, the track would appear to have been traversed many times before," Teal'c observed, also noting the twin ruts. 

"If this is the wrong track, I'll remember who sent me this way," Jack warned, sending his rear seat passengers a strong glare. He turned the truck onto the rutted track, the broad tread tyres easily navigating the uneven surface. 

Jack kept their travel at a slow, even pace, trying to avoid the large potholes that created havoc for his truck's suspension. A small animal ran in front of the truck. Swerving to avoid hitting it, Jack managed to collect the extra large pothole that he had been in the process of avoiding. Inside the truck cabin, Daniel rubbed his jaw, massaging his sore teeth which had clamped together as the wheels impacted the bottom of the hole. 

Teal'c massaged the top of his head which had connected with the roof. "O'Neill, could you not have exhibited more skill in the handling of this vehicle?" 

"Teal'c, you'd have had me up on cat-slaughter charges if I'd run it over," Jack responded indignantly. 

"Ow.... where the hell are we?" 

The three men looked at each other, the word 'guilty' tangibly written on their faces. Jack had been hoping that they would actually make it to the cabin before their abductee woke. No such luck and from the scowl creasing her face, there would have to be some fast talking done if they were going to be able to maintain some semblance of peace.

Daniel suddenly began studying the map of the area studiously, avoiding the inquisitive blue eyes seeking an explanation for their wayward journey.

"Guys, where are we?"

"Lake George," Daniel told her, looking at her quickly before feigning interest in the topographical map resting on his knee. 

"And may I ask, why are we near Lake George when my house is in Colorado Springs."

"Ah, it's a fishing expedition. You know how many times you have missed out on going to my cabin, well here's your chance," Jack gave her a cheesy big grin.

"Your cabin is in Minnesota," Sam pointed out.

"Yeah, well, we found out the airlines don't like unconscious passengers. Janet wouldn't agree to you flying anyway, so we came up with the next best thing - Lieutenant Simmons' parents' cabin." Jack couldn't resist adding, "Lieutenant Simmons was only to eager to aid in your recovery."

Sam gave him a suffering look before scanning the surrounds and commenting dryly, "I don't see much of a cabin."

"Blame that on the wild cat that caused me to hit the pothole."

"What wild cat?"

"Oh, it's just Jack trying to blame his errant driving on the wildlife," Daniel interjected.

Sam shook her head, instantly regretting the action. She really needed to get some fresh air. The atmosphere in the car was quickly becoming claustrophobic. "Any chance we can get to this cabin so I can get out of this seat?"

"What's wrong with the seat?" Jack asked indignantly.

"Jack, just drive." Daniel interrupted, grateful that they seemed to have escaped the wrath that possibly could have decapitated them all. He wasn't sure if her anger had dissipated or whether she was just waiting for a chance to get back at them all. It wouldn't surprise him if it was the latter. An angry Sam Carter he could deal with, a vengeful one was something to be avoid at all costs. 

Jack pulled the truck up the last stretch of the track, which opened out into a small clearing harbouring the cabin they were seeking. Pulling the truck to a stop, Jack felt a twinge of sadness that he wasn't at his grandfather's cabin. There were secrets that he would have loved to have had the chance to show his team, prizes hidden by the forest which he had discovered over his many treks back to his roots. 

Teal'c looked at the cabin and dubiously wondered if all Tau'ri holiday cabins were the same. This one was almost a replica of the one O'Neill had taken him to in Minnesota, the one that had been O'Neill's grandfather's. Old, brown logs formed the outer walls, their colour weatherbeaten, but remaining solid in the face of the forces nature tested against them. A galvanized iron roof, painted an inconspicuous shade of green, blended the cabin with the surrounding forest. Twin glazed windows looked out over a covered porch, towards the lake. The lake shimmered an unusual shade of blue-green in the sunlight, its surface dancing lightly with ripples as the light breeze carried across the water.

"It is beautiful, Colonel," Sam commented, her left hand shading her eyes as she scanned the surrounding countryside. 

"So you're not angry that we brought you here?" Daniel asked, hoping for absolution for his part in her abduction. There were times when he regretted being influenced by Jack. 

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Sam retorted, giving him a sharp look. "But looking at this place, I may be compelled to forgive you."

"Do you want a look around?" Jack asked. He was looking forward to getting a chance to explore the woods.

"O'Neill, should we not evacuate the vehicle of our luggage before we explore our surroundings?"

"Yes, Teal'c, we should."

Hearing the word luggage, Sam suddenly realised that she had not packed any. "Umm, I do have luggage, don't I?"

"Yes. We have a bag for you," Jack told her. 

Daniel caught sight of Sam's raised eyebrows and wide-eyed expression. Immediately he quelled her fears. "Janet packed some clothes for you."

Relief washed over Sam. They may be her teammates and there wasn't a lot about her that they didn't know. The idea of them having gone through her underwear drawer and closets, the more intimate side of herself, was too much to bear. She may not have many secrets from her teammates, but there were some things she still liked to keep sacred.

Jack leaned precariously over the edge of the small jetty, taking a closer look at the shimmering surface of the lake. The wooden jetty was of a similar vintage to that of the cabin, except the combination of the weather and its proximity to the water had taken a far greater toll. Looking down at the water, he was concerned by the bluish-green tinge that covered the surface. Right now, he wished he had one of Carter's vials to take a sample as he had a sneaking suspicion he knew the reason for its peculiar colour.

"What are you doing, Jack?" Daniel asked, pushing his glasses back up his nose, looking down at the older man.

Jack jumped, his concentration having been on the water rather than keeping his ears open for the approach of footsteps. When he was on duty, Daniel would have been unable to get this close without Jack making a quip about his noisy approach. 

"Something's not right..." Jack started to explain, pushing himself to his feet. His words were cut off as his hand and feet connected with the slimy, lichen surface covering the edge of the jetty. Hands and feet flew in all directions as Jack vainly tried to rescue himself from falling, his jaw crashing down against the upright, wooden post. His teeth snapped shut sharply on his tongue and Jack lost all balance, his weight tumbling him towards the shimmering lake. 

Instinctively Daniel tried to help Jack, attempting to grab hold of his hand and pull him back from his fall towards the water. Their hands connected, fingers entwining around each other's wrists as a human lifeline. Daniel's arm strained under the pressure, his muscles striving to counteract against the heavy weight pulling him down. He groaned as he leaned back, pulling with all high might against the forces of gravity and Jack's comedic tumble. Feeling himself being pulled forward, Daniel repositioned his feet, attempting to counter attack the pull, only to have his feet hit the same slimy surface that had brought Jack to grief. 

"Oops," Daniel exclaimed as his feet slid out from underneath him and his hold on Jack's wrist was lost in his ensuing attempt to save himself from following Jack into the lake.

"Ofer crying out loud." Jack's voice rang out stridently in the peaceful surroundings, causing nesting birds to take off in fear at the raucous sound. The temporary reprieve that Daniel's hand had provided him with disappeared and Jack fell back into the lake. His clothing quickly absorbed the water, the weight of the sodden material and his shoes, challenging his swim back to the surface. 

It was the last thing that Daniel heard before his backside hit the edge of the hard, wooden surface. He only had a moment's reprieve before a sharp cracking of wood sounded and he was unceremoniously dumped into the lake along with the broken chunk of wood. 

Jack's attempt to break clear of the water was thwarted as he felt something connect with his face, his nose bearing the brunt of the force. Swearing to himself, he covered his injured appendage with his hands, able to feel the relentless flow of blood weeping forth despite being underwater. 

Daniel's downward spiral took him beneath the now turbulent surface, the water unusually warm. His body connected with something below the surface and he gasped, swallowing copious amounts of water in shock.  
  
It took several seconds before the shock of his unexpected swim wore off and his natural reactions kicked in. Swimming to the surface, he spat the water from his mouth. Removing his glasses, Daniel ran a hand over his eyes, wiping away the slimy substance that seemed to be adhering to it. Looking around, he found Jack was treading water nearby. Blood was trailing from his nose in twin rivulets.  
  
"Are you all right, Jack?"  
  
"What do you think, Daniel? I'm wet, slimy and I think you broke my nose," Jack responded sarcastically. He tried to give his claim added weight with supporting the injured appendage while attempting to keep his head above water. 

"I broke your nose?" Daniel asked incredulously.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Jack, I did not break your nose. I was nowhere near your nose." Daniel retorted, although thinking to himself that there were times that he wished he had had the chance to break his stubborn friend's nose.  
"Did."  
  
"Did not."  
  
"O'Neill. Doctor Jackson. Do you require any assistance?" Teal'c broke into their petty argument. He towered over them both as they bobbed like two matching buoys. Teal'c frowned as he noted that the two of them were fully clothed.  
  
"Oh, yeah, sure," Jack commented sarcastically, swimming to the edge of the jetty. "Just don't ask him for any assistance or you know where you are likely to finish up. In the drink."  
  
"Drink, O'Neill? I do not understand."  
  
"Drink, water, river. Oh, forget it. Give me a hand out of here." Jack raised his hand to meet Teal'c's beefy one, pushing himself against the wooden planks.  


Daniel slowly made his way towards the jetty, wary of the anger emanating from Jack. It wasn't as if he had not witnessed the wrath of Jack before, yet this was different. Something was bothering him. 

"O'Neill, what is the purpose of swimming with your clothes on?"

"Don't ask, Teal'c. Don't ask. Crap," Jack muttered as he shook his head, trying to clear his ears of the water clogging them. The smell emanating from his clothing churned his stomach.

Teal'c looked quizzically at Daniel, seeking a response. 

"Yes, Jack. Why don't you tell us both what you doing?" Daniel decided he had had quite enough of trying to decipher a plausible explanation for what Jack had been doing at the water's edge.

"It was the colour," Jack answered cryptically. He turned his head from one side, then the other, his finger attempting to unclog the waterlogged ears.

"You dragged me into the water because of its colour?" Daniel turned on his companion, indignation flooding his face. He rubbed the back of his hand across his eyes, a stinging sensation pricking at them. Running his hand through his short, cropped hair, he found a slimy residue coated the surface. 

"I didn't drag you in. You fell in. The colour is wrong."

"Why is the colour wrong?" Daniel asked. Examining his hand more closely, he gave it a sniff and shuddered at the smell. "What's in that water? I feel like I've just swallowed half of the SGC's rotten garbage."

"Probably because essentially you did."

"Huh? Jack, what the hell are you talking about?" Daniel held his hand out from himself, the potent odour seeming to increase with every minute that passed.

"Cyanobacteria."

"What the hell is that?" Daniel shrugged off his jacket, hoping that it would reduce the smell that was beginning to overwhelm him. "Would you start speaking in English?"

"Now you know how I feel when you and Carter get going."

"Blue green algae, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c informed him succinctly, his face remaining impassive as he translated.

"And you know that, how?" Daniel narrowed his eyes as his ally suddenly changed sides.

"Discovery Channel." Teal'c raised his eyebrows as he detailed his source.

"Blue-green algae is what I was looking at, Daniel," Jack informed him, also removing his jacket. The heavy material dripped large droplets of water on the ground. A hollow plop signalled the fall of his cell phone on the wooden surface. "It's a toxic bacteria that forms in shallow, warm slow-moving or still water."

Jack bent over and picked up the small, black flip-back phone. He didn't even bother testing it for its viability, wondering if God was working on his side. He had argued with General Hammond about leaving the modern technology at the SGC. Jack wasn't looking forward to now having to fill out the requisition form for a new cell phone. "Double crap."

"I know what it is, Jack. What does it mean for us?" Daniel pulled a sodden handkerchief from his pocket, attempting to clean the slimy glasses in his hand.

"It means that we can't drink any of the water from here." 

"Just drinking water? There's no other problem."

"Ah, there's a slight mention of not swimming in it either. There are some side effects."

"Side effects? What sort of side effects?"

"Daniel Jackson, the documentary informed viewers that drinking of the water would induce vomitting, nausea, diarrhoea, headaches, fever and abdominal pain. Swimming in contaminated water will also produce itchy and irritated eyes and skin with possible hay fever-like reactions."

"Oh, nothing like having a double dose of hay fever," Daniel commented cynically, as he continued to rub his already irritated eyes.

"Daniel, stop rubbing your eyes," Jack ordered. "You know I should have realised that this trip was going too well. Sam hasn't killed us for spiriting her away for a week in the woods. None of us were recalled for some covert mission.... someone or something had to throw a spanner in the works."

"O'Neill, should not you and Daniel Jackson remove your clothing and shower?" Teal'c commented, noticing the two of them scratching and pulling at their wet, pungent clothes.

"We should, but we can't shower. It would be using the same water supply." Jack wasn't happy. He had been looking forward to staying in the wooded area for a few days, tossing a line in the small lake and enjoying the mild weather. Now, he stunk of rotting garbage and would be unable to shower until the next day.

"You mean I have to stay smelling like this?"

"Yes, Daniel. So do I. I'm sure you had worse days in Abydos," Jack pointed out, slinging his jacket over his shoulder. "How much water did we bring with us?"

"Six or eight litres of natural spring water," Daniel said. "You know how much Sam likes bottled water."

"It may be a handy thing."

"We could return to the SGC, O'Neill." Teal'c pointed out. He had been disappointed when Colonel O'Neill had informed him of his plans. His last venture with his commanding officer had caused him considerable annoyance, mosquitos viciously attacking his sweet Chulakian blood. It was only his loyalty to Major Carter that had caused him to assist Colonel O'Neill. Doctor Fraiser had provided him with not only Major Carter's medication but a lotion that was proven to repell the rogue insects.

"No. We'll wait until morning, Teal'c," Jack negated, shaking his head. "The sun is setting; I don't want to drive these roads at night. Carter is resting, which is what Fraiser wanted. We've got plenty of water and food. One night is not going to kill us."

The cabin was warm, the sun having heated the tin roof. The three men entered the wooden building quietly. Jack and Daniel had removed the majority of their smelly clothing outside, only their pants and undershirts remained. Their bare feet resonated loudly against the polished floor boards, earning them both a harsh look from Teal'c. 

Looking across the cabin, they noticed Sam still sleeping on the divan. Her afternoon walk with Jack had taken more of a toll on her than they had realised. Sam had enjoyed the outdoor jaunt, the calmness of the woods relaxing her. They hadn't gone far when Jack noticed her laboured breathing. Immediately, he had ordered her back to the cabin to rest. Sam had not argued. This alone had worried them all. 

Suddenly, as they looked at her sleeping, faint lines of pain etching her features, they realised how close they had come to losing their teammate. A simple covert mission almost stealing her from their midst.

Opening the refrigerator door, Daniel and Jack each selected a litre container of bottled water. They had decided that since they would be going home the next morning, they may as well use a small amount to rid themselves of the toxin laden slime and water adhering to their skin and hair.

Teal'c smirked as he watched them trail to the bathroom. They reminded him of a couple of bedraggled children being forced to endure not only a wash, but to brush their teeth as well. Sam continued to sleep, oblivious to the occasional complaint emanating from the bathroom. 

Since he was at a loose end, Teal'c decided to commence dinner. Almost everything they had brought with them for food was canned. Not military style, but close enough. Tealc chose canned bolognaise sauce with beef, pre-packed grated cheese and a bag of spaghetti. 

"Smells good, T-man," Jack commented quietly, leaning over the burly Jaffa's shoulder as he stirred the pot of bolognaise sauce. "That's an interesting look."

Teal'c quizzically looked down at the protective towel he had tucked around his modest waist, guarding his clothing from stains. "Is this not what women wear to protect their clothing from damage?"

"Close enough," Jack responded, wishing he had a camera with him to record it for posterity. "How long before it is ready?"

"In approximately five minutes, O'Neill."

"I'd better go and wake Carter."

"Carter," Jack whispered softly, trying not to startle her too greatly and jar her injuries. He raised his voice slightly and ran his hand lightly over the side of her face. "Carter."

She slowly opened her eyes, the blue iris' unfocused as she gazed back at him. "Sir?"

"Dinner is ready."

"What time is it?" Her words were heavy with sleep and medication. 

"Nearly seven."

"How long was I asleep?" Sam tried to sit up, finding that with one hand totally restricted and the other one bandaged, it was an awkward process.

"A couple of hours." Jack put his arm around her waist and eased her into a sitting position. "Looks like you needed the rest."

"Yeah. Obviously, I did." 

Massaging his temple to ease the pressure behind his right eye, Jack unobtrusively watched Daniel and Sam sitting at the table from behind his hockey magazine, keeping an eye on both of them. Daniel was animatedly in the midst of explaining an Abydonian game to Sam. Every now and then, Daniel would scratch at the reddened skin of his forearms or rub at his eyes. Surprisingly, Sam hadn't noticed either of these actions, nor Daniel's additional propensity for sneezing.

Sam was still sitting up straight at the table, not having moved since she had taken her seat for dinner. She was avoiding moving much at all. The bruising to her torso was quite spectacular, now that it was over twenty-four hours since her fall, the inflamed and damaged skin and muscles pulsating under any additional stress of movement. 

"Daniel, this is just chess in Abydonian," Sam interjected into his fluid spiel.

"No. It's Shto'ru. There's a difference." Daniel gave a smile as he said it. When the game had been explained to him on Abydos, it had also been his response. There were slight differences, but essentially it was an Abydonian version of chess. 

"In what... the language?"

Daniel gave her a quick grin. "Listen, watch and learn." It was fun using the ancient language that had been his native tongue for a year. Sometimes he missed the easy, comfortable atmosphere that had been imparted by the Abydonian people that had accepted him as one of their own. 

He also missed the chance to discuss things one on one with Sam. She challenged him with her quick wit and intelligence, their past discussions were animated and characterised by each of them finishing the other's sentence. 

As he sat and described the game in a combination of English and Abydonian, explaining the words' meaning to Sam when she didn't understand, he struggled to control his churning stomach. The tiny clenching of his stomach muscles and the gurgling were becoming more pronounced.

"Major Carter, your medication," Teal'c intoned as he interrupted Daniel mid-sentence, handing Sam several tablets and capsules of various colours and sizes. 

"Am I Janet's walking pharmacy now?" Sam grimaced as she took the collection from him. He also handed her a bottle of water with a glass. 

"Doctor Fraiser informed me that they are a combination of muscle relaxants, pain killers and anti-inflammatories. All of which she indicated you would require."

"Carter, just swallow the damn things. They will help ease the pain," Jack called out from his corner, grimacing at the pain that shot through his head. Although, it wasn't the headache that had him moving swiftly towards the bathroom, but the intense abdominal pain which suddenly hit him.

Even though the door was shut, the three of them heard the distinctive, unsavoury sound of vomiting. Within moments, Daniel jumped to his feet, covering his mouth and ran out the front door. 

"It looks like you're as good a cook as I am - with worse result," Sam commented to Teal'c. "How are you feeling, Teal'c?"

"I am well, Major Carter."

"Sam," she corrected automatically. "The food hasn't affected me, either. What's wrong with Jack and Daniel then?"

"O'Neill and Daniel Jackson went for a swim in the lake this afternoon."

"They went swimming?" Sam raised her eyebrows in surprise. The weather was unusually warm for this time of year, but it wasn't warm enough for swimming. Added to the fact that neither Daniel nor Jack were people who actively swam, it confused her further.

"It was a misfortune. O'Neill slipped. Daniel Jackson attempted to assist but succumbed also."

Sam couldn't help but smile at the thought of the two of them struggling to stay upright on the small jetty. "I still don't understand why they are ill?"

"O'Neill said the lake has blue-green algae blooms. This would appear to be what ails them." 

"Oh. That's not good." 

"You know the dangers of blue-green algae, Samantha Carter."

"Yes, I do." 

"Teal'c, did you bring a cell phone with you?"

"I did, Major Carter. At General Hammond's request." Teal'c pulled the small phone from his pocket., passing it to her.

Flipping the phone open, she switched it on. Nothing happened; there was no connection. The area they were in was obviously causing a break in the signal. Taking the phone outside the door, she tried again, to no avail. 

"Damn," Sam swore. "There's no signal. Why didn't Colonel O'Neill have us leave immediately after they fell in?" 

"He was not concerned to leave tonight. O'Neill felt the morning would be sufficient."

"Yeah, sufficient for the toxins to have made their way around their systems. What was he thinking?"

"About you, Major Carter. You were resting. He was also concerned about the danger of transversing the road in the night."

"It's never worried him before."

"Colonel O'Neill has been most worried about your injuries," Teal'c stated. A single raised eyebrow and his dark eyes conveying more than the simple statement.

Sam thought about the small revelation. Her commanding officer's actions today had only served to irritate her, rather than pacify. It was only the peacefulness of the surrounding woods that had tempered her anger at having been manipulated by her teammates. The colonel's concern was appreciated, but he knew better than to pull a stunt like this. Endangering Daniel and himself for her sake was unacceptable. 

Jack re-entered the room, his face pale. The session in the bathroom had been violent and what he had eaten of his dinner was now relegated to the sewage system. He had almost made the error of washing his face and hands under the possibly polluted water. At least Sam had listened to him and was avoiding drinking or using the local water supply. Instead, Jack dug in his pocket for the packet of chewing gum. He methodically gnawed on the piece of gum, trying to rid his mouth of the sour after taste . 

"Sir, we need to talk." Sam side-lined Jack almost the moment he stepped into the room. Her voice was stern, not allowing him to brush her aside. Although, Sam found it hard to act imposing with one arm was tied securely to her waist.

Teal'c watched the exchange passively from his seat. It took only a moment before he decided that he should check on Daniel Jackson. He had tried to convince the two men that they should tell Samantha Carter. The symptoms they would possibly suffer from after their fall into the lake would be obvious. Although Teal'c knew that they were only trying to protect her, he felt they were wrong. 

"What about, Carter?" Jack asked impassively.

"You're protecting me to the detriment of Daniel and yourself. We should have gone back... Sir." Sam pointed out forcefully, the harsh bite of the accusation only mildly toned down by the tacked on respectful phrase. 

"It wasn't an option, Major. The road on the way in is too rough to try to navigate in the dark. We could end up being stranded with a broken drive shaft. It was safer to wait until morning," Jack pointed out matter-of-factly. He looked around the room. "Where's Daniel?"

"Outside. He's also suffering the effects of the toxin." Sam narrowed her eyes at him, silently questioning why Jack hadn't told her about it.

"It wouldn't have made a difference, Major," Jack answered as he tiredly sat down on the divan. He patted the space beside him, indicating that she should also sit..

"I don't need protecting, Colonel," Sam pointed out. She would have crossed her arms resolutely in front of her if only her injuries didn't prevent it.

"I know that." Jack ran a hand over his face and raked his hand through his hair. "You were asleep. The only reactions we seemed to be having were headaches and itchy skin. It wasn't important."

"It's important to me, Sir." Sam gave in to his invitation and sank down beside him. 

"I know that now, Sam. I'm sorry," Jack apologised. "You know you gave me a hell of a scare." He looked across at Sam, noticing that she was avoiding eye contact. Jack could see the tears brimming at the edge of her eyelids. Her blue eyes were clouded with fear and guilt. 

"Sam, you know that you had no choice." Jack hazarded a guess that she was thinking about the Aschen disaster. "Ambassador Faxon knew the only way to save you and save Earth was to give up his chance at freedom."

"It doesn't make it any easier, Sir." Sam brushed away at the solitary tear that fell at the mention on the Senator's name. 

"No, it doesn't. But it does mean that you are able to go on with the future." Jack took a deep breath before continuing, his hands playing with the small piece of gum wrapper. "When I lost Charlie, I gave up on life. Particularly since it was my own gun that took his life, I felt that I couldn't go on; that I didn't deserve the right to live. Not even my love for Sara was able to pull me through despite the fact that she didn't blame me."

Sam reached out her left hand, her long fingers draping over his hands, stilling their movement. Brown eyes met blue and held, their minds connecting in understanding of each other's pain; an extension of the physical joining of their hands.

"It was meeting Daniel and the people of Abydos that changed me. He made me see there was more out there, more to fight for than our little tiny world here. More than that, he has made me look at humanity from another aspect. Nobody in all my years in the military has challenged me or my decisions the way he has."

Jack pulled one of his hands out of beneath hers and brushed away the tears falling freely down Sam's face. "But Sam, you have changed me as well. You have made me realise that I can feel the pain of loss, the joy of life despite the fact that I'm military. Sam, don't hide your emotions behind your science."

Jack ran his palm down the side of her jaw, gently caressing the soft skin beneath his calloused hand, hoping that his words would help. Sam gave him a soft smile, her lips trembling as she struggled to maintain control. 

"Thanks, Colonel," she whispered. 

Sam quietly moved around the small kitchenette, avoiding waking the sleeping men in the room opposite. She was craving for a hot chocolate, a drink that her mother had made for her as a young child. Sam often took solace in it when she was unwell or feeling stressed. It quickly reminded her of the little touches her mother had showered her with, memories that she had denied herself for many years until finally reconciling with her father. 

Opening and closing doors, she eventually found a mug to make the hot chocolate in. The cabin didn't have a microwave, her usual time-saving method, so she would have to use the stove. Opening the small refrigerator door, she winced as she bent over to reach for the carton of milk, her cracked ribs reminding her to take care.

Today had taken its toll. Her shoulder muscles were contracting tightly. She would take another couple of muscle relaxants with her hot chocolate. The milk was bubbling nicely on the stove. It was nice to get a chance to do something for herself. With both her arms essentially incapacitated, everything was being done for her. She had forgone wearing a bra for obvious reasons. 

Her hot chocolate was made. Sam filled the saucepan with water to soak of the milk scum. Picking up the mug with her left hand, she found the handle had heated up considerably, her fingers releasing the mug instantly. It hit the edge of the bench and shattered on the floor. Hot chocolate milk left long fingers of steaming, brown fluid own the cupboard doors and coated the floor.

Sam stood dumb founded for a moment, her burned fingers finding solace in her mouth. Tears pricked at her eyes, the pressure of keeping up a stoic front becoming too much. As twin rivulets of pain ran down her face, Sam let the tears of frustration and anger spill forth. Grabbing a dishtowel from the sink, she attempted to wipe up the mess.

"You know what they say about crying over spilt milk, Sam, " Daniel gently said, crouching on his haunches beside her. "Here, I'll clean it up."

"I am quite capable to do things for myself," Sam retorted stubbornly.

"Usually, but not at the moment. Is it so difficult to ask a friend for assistance?" Daniel raised his eyebrows behind his glasses, creating furrows in his forehead. 

"It's not just one thing - it's almost everything. I can't do virtually a thing on my own without breaking something in the attempt."

"Sam, we are your friends. We are here to help you."

"I don't want your help. I don't need your help."

Daniel felt like he had been hit in the solar plexis. He struggled to maintain his composure, to mask the pain the words had struck in his heart, but his blue eyes filled with sorrow, reflecting his deep sadness.

"Oh, Daniel. I'm sorry. Every time I allow someone close, they end up dying." Sam sank to the floor, tiredness overwhelming her, her back against a cupboard. The struggle to remain independent was becoming too much.

"Sam, I know how you feel."

"No you don't...." Sam stopped mid-sentence, realising that he indeed did know how she felt. He had lost both Sha're and Sarah to the Goa'uld. Neither of them had a choice in their destiny. "I'm sorry. I'm being selfish." 

Sam had dealt Daniel a double blow in a couple of minutes and he struggled to deal with the emotions he held tightly under control for the most part. 

"Narim gave his life for you, Earth and his people. Ambassador Faxon sacrificed himself for you and Earth. Orlin ascended again to save you and the destruction of the universe. Sam, all these people made choices. Choices influenced by knowing you and for what they know to be right. Sam, I know it hurts to love and the pain can be unbearable when you lose someone. But if you deny your friends, you'll have lost everyone."

"I just can't bear the thought of losing any of you. It's so hard," Sam's voice wobbled as she struggled to say the words, the tears and tightness in her chest intense.

"Sam, I can't promise that something won't happen to any of us. We explore the universe for a living. We don't know who we will encounter next; good, bad or otherwise." Daniel sat down on the floor beside Sam.

"I don't know if I can do it any more." Sam dropped the dishtowel on the floor.

"Sam, years ago, you gave your father the opportunity of life as a Tok'ra. You put your life on the line for Cassandra, to offer her comfort when everyone else had given up. Sam, each of us represents a unique part of SG-1 and without you, it wouldn't be the same. You give so much of yourself, your talents and your abilities to the SGC. I can't imagine you doing anything else. Yet, it's time you gave something back to yourself. Forgiveness. While you have lost friends, you still have them here." Daniel motioned towards his heart. "Remember them for what they were to you, the joys you shared and what brought you together. Don't give in, Sam. Then the Goa'uld win easily." 

Daniel gently wrapped his arms around Sam's shoulders as she cried; the tears visibly shaking her shoulders. He sat there, softly rubbing her back as she let out her grief for all the losses she had sustained.

Sam opened her eyes slowly, snuggling down underneath the comforter as the early morning chill in the room touched her face. She lay there, listening to the deep, even breaths of her companions. Closing her eyes again, Sam would have gone back to sleep if it weren't for her bladder forcing her out of her warm bed.

The breaking light of day lit a clear path for her and she softly padded across the cold floorboards. Returning to the room, moments later, she looked out the window. Dashes of gold, pink and purple filled the sky, like a painter had streaked his brush across a dappled blue backdrop. Sam smiled and went to the door, opening it to step out onto the covered porch. 

She let out a small yelp of surprise at the visitor curled up on the doorstep, before shutting the door quickly. Leaning against it, she realised that she was breathing rather heavily, the shock at what she had almost stood on wearing off. 

"Major Carter, what is the matter?"

Sam noticed that the burly Jaffa was awake, concern marring his features.

"Ah, Teal'c, did Junior invite any friends to stay?"

"I do not understand." Teal'c had watched Samantha Carter as she had moved around the room, her movements stealthy. He rose to his feet, approaching her.

"Um, there's a snake curled up at the front door."

"What type?" Jack asked, rubbing his eyes and sitting up. The slamming door had dragged him from his unsettled sleep. 

"The sort with two beady eyes, forked tongue and two sharp fangs," Sam responded sarcastically.

"Very funny, Carter," Jack raked his fingers through his short, steel gray hair. "Seriously, what sort is it?"

"I don't know. Snake physiology is not a subject that particularly interests me." Sam shuddered. Snakes had never been on her list of things to take an interest in, their small beady eyes guarding what she considered a sinister nature.

"That'd be a change," Jack got up from the lower bunk bed he had slept on. 

"Major Carter, I will remove the offending reptile," Teal'c offered with a small dip of his head.

"Thank you, Teal'c." Sam gave him a bright smile.

"Teal'c, wait until I've had a look at it. Some snakes around here are quite dangerous." Jack opened the door and took a quick look at the uninvited guest. "It's a carpet snake. Not venomous. Teal'c, be aware, it may not be poisonous, but it will still bite."

"O'Neill, we have similar creatures on Chulak." Teal'c deftly picked up the snake, grasping the creature behind its head, ensuring that it would be unable to strike him. 

"Very nice move, T."

"Major Carter, would you not like to use the meat to make a meal." He held out the snake for her perusal, examining the rounded body and remembering the beautiful dinners he had enjoyed with the meat from such creatures on Chulak.

"Ah, no, Teal'c. I think I'm quickly turning vegetarian." Sam shuddered again, his offer making her stomach churn at the thought.

Teal'c took the snake outside, heading for the densely wooded area to the left. Sam lowered herself down onto the edge of the porch, watching the sky as the colours changed gradually as the sun peeked over the horizon.

"You're up early, Carter," Jack asked as he sat down beside her. He was, concerned that it had been pain that had drawn her from her sleep.

"Nature called," Sam offered calmly, trying to dispel his worry. After their talk the previous day, she realised that her friends had a right to be protective; they cared about her. Often it was a case of the boot on the other foot when one of the guys were relegated to the infirmary. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"It is," Jack agreed. Unable to resist a dig at her refusals to go with him to Minnesota, he continued, "I've told you before what you're missing by not coming to my cabin."

"Maybe one day I'll have to take you up on that offer," Sam said wistfully as she watched the sun reach out over the horizon, delicate fingers of golden light streaking their way across the early morning sky.

"Maybe, Carter; just maybe." Jack gave her a broad smile, the corners of his eyes crinkling. 

Breakfast had been an easy task. Teal'c had cooked eggs and bacon for everyone, except both Daniel and Jack had declined to eat the food. The smell alone had set off their stomachs, the muscles contracting violently as they struggled for control.

"You should eat something," Sam commented, her mouth still savouring the last of her crispy bacon.

"No. I'll be fine." Daniel shook his head, instantly regretting the action. The pounding pressure that had begun last night had increased, it's intensity draining his face of colour. 

Jack pulled out a box of Froot Loops, filling a bowl to the brim. He sat down at the table beside Sam and proceeded to eat the sweet breakfast, sans milk. The three teammates watched him fascinated as Jack methodically ensured that each spoonful contained at least one of each colour before shovelling the spoon into his mouth.

"The sugar fix alone will send you into oblivion," Sam commented cynically. 

Jack raised his eyebrows in response, a small grin tugging at his mouth. 

"Keys," Sam demanded shortly, changing the subject and prepared to get moving out of this place. There could be something to be said for that phrase too much of a good thing...

"There is no way you are driving my truck, Carter," Jack said around a mouthful of Froot Loops.

"I don't intend to. Teal'c will." 

"Teal'c!" Jack dropped his spoon in his bowl, the statement gaining his full attention. 

"He flies Tel'taks and gliders with ease. I'm sure it'll only take a few minutes for him to work out how to drive a car. He's a quick study."

"But it's my truck he'll be practising on." If Jack's blood pressure had been low before, it had hit a peak now.

"Do you not trust me, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked calmly, his cool demeanour a stark contrast to the Jack's shocked stance.

"It's not a matter of trust, Teal'c, its..."

"O'Neill, I shall be honoured to drive your vehicle. I shall cherish it like my own son."

Jack realised that in his current condition, trying to manoeuver the large vehicle through the narrow, rutted and potholed track was beyound him. He searched his pockets for the keys. They weren't there.

"You weren't wearing those clothes yesterday, Colonel," Sam reminded him softly.

"Right." Jack went outside to the pile of pungent clothing. Gingerly digging through the pile, he found his jacket and pants. Searching the pockets, he only found his ruined cell phone. "They must have fallen out in the lake." 

"We're definitely not searching the bottom of the lake for your keys," Sam said, grimacing at the smell emanating from the dirty clothing. "I'll hotwire it."

"And you are going to do that, how?" Jack indicated to her shoulder and hand. 

"Teal'c will help me," Sam said, an upbeat spring in her step as she moved towards the car. It was the first chance that she had in twenty-four hours to apply her skills. "You'd be surprised at how easy it is."

"With you, Carter, nothing should surprise me," Jack muttered dryly as he followed Teal'c and Sam to the parked SUV.

"Colonel, how old is your truck?" Sam queried.

"Four years," Jack responded, wondering what difference the age of his vehicle had for hot wiring it.

"So it was made in '97?"

"No, it was actually made in '96, but I've only had it four years."

A small grin flittered across Sam's face. Jack glared at her, suspicious of what had brought on the smile. "What's that little smile about?"

"What... oh that smile. I'll show you." Sam opened the front door easily. It wasn't even locked. Pulling the catch for the hood, she indicated to Teal'c to raise the hood.

"Glad to see you locked the car, Jack." Daniel commented sarcastically.

"It's not like anyone was going to steal it out here."

"It makes my job easier." Sam carefully reached in beside the engine mount, pulling out the dipstick. "Daniel, have you got a clean hankie?"

Daniel pulled one out of his pocket, passing Sam the cotton cloth. Handing Teal'c the long piece of malleable metal, she wiped away all signs of oil. "Teal'c could you bend this until it is about this long?" Sam indicated the length awkwardly between her two hands.

"Of course, Major Carter."

"Hey, hey, that's my dipstick!"

Sam raised her eyebrows at the Colonel's indignant claim, a small grin touching her lips. "You can pick up another quite cheaply at your local Ford dealer."

"Carter, remember that's my truck, not one of your experiments. I do want it back in one piece."

Sam took the bent dipstick and pushed it into the ignition shaft. Turning the makeshift key over once, the vehicle started immediately. 

Jack narrowed his eyes. "Major, I'm not sure I want to know how you came across that solution to hotwiring."

"The internet is a fascinating tool, Colonel."

"Sam, are you okay?" Janet asked, worry marring her smooth features. Jack, Daniel and Teal'c were supposed to keep the Major away from the base for at least one week; two if they were able to. Janet moved quickly towards SG-1, three of the four members looking worse for wear. Both men were visibly in pain, arms held protectively across their stomachs.

"I'm fine," Sam responded, tiredly. "You might need to take a look at these two, though. They decided to take a swim in the lake. It was laden with blue-green algae. Brought you back a souvenir."

"Which one?" Janet commented dryly. "You do realise that they were supposed to be taking care of you, not the other way around."

"Oh, don't worry. They did," Sam assured her, a soft smile softening her haggard features as she recalled what had been said. "This is the other souvenir. I took a sample of the water."

Slipping on a latex glove, Janet gingerly accepted the pro-offered bottle. Holding it up to the light, she frowned. "Colonel, Daniel. You know the routine."

Sam went to leave the infirmary, having safely dropped off her charges. "Sam, where do you think you're going?"

"To my quarters."

"No. I want to examine you. I need to be sure you haven't done any damage trying to look after Colonel O'Neill and Daniel. Lie down until I'm finished with them." Guiding Sam to the closest bed, Janet helped her up and encouraged her to lie down. 

Janet pulled the curtain around the bed. "Teal'c, can you make sure she doesn't leave. See if you can get her to go to sleep. She still looks tired."

"As you wish, Doctor Fraiser." Teal'c inclined his head toward the petite doctor, slipping behind the curtain into the chair beside the bed.

The apprehension she had felt when agreeing to allow the three members of SG-1 look after their fourth returned in full force. She couldn't believe that she has entrusted them with the care of Sam, especially when she was in such a fragile state.

"I thought you said you were going to look after Major Carter, Colonel," Janet's voice was clipped and precise, her anger obvious.

"I was." Jack didn't bother defending himself. It was safer to allow the small doctor to vent her anger than allow her to take it out on him during his physical examination.

"Falling into a lake full of cyanobacteria is not my idea of taking care of her, nor yourself." Janet finished listening to his chest.

"It wasn't deliberate - I slipped."

"So how did Daniel come to join you?"

"A comedy of errors," Jack said evasively. 

Janet looked up at the comment, a smile twitching at her lips. Knowing the combination of Jack and Daniel, it was a sure bet that it would be a comedy of errors.

"So, what symptoms have you got?"

"Abdominal cramps, vomiting, diarrhoea, headache, itchy skin and eyes."

"You're also running a fever."

"Am I?" Jack asked, frowning and lifting a hand over his forehead. "Maybe I am."

"Okay, Colonel. I want you to stay and I'll give you some compazine. There's a danger you'll become dehydrated from the vomiting and diarrhoea. As a precaution, I'll set up an IV."

Janet quickly ran through an examination of Daniel. With his lighter frame than the Colonel and his swallowing of the toxic water, he had much more pronounced symptoms, dehydration already setting in. Once she had the two settled, Janet made her way back to Sam and Teal'c. 

Pulling back the curtain and noticing Sam was sleeping, Janet tempered her steps to reduce the noise on the linoleum floor.

"How did you manage to accomplish that?" Janet asked Teal'c softly.

"I did as you suggested when we first left with Major Carter. I dissolved the contents of the capsules in her drink."

Janet smiled. "Good job, Teal'c. At least I know there is one member of SG-1 that can follow instructions."

"Doctor Frasier, I think you will find that in one day SG-1 accomplished the task that we all thought might be impossible." Teal'c informed her, the bonds between the members of the team strengthened once more despite the challenges they had faced in the last twenty-four hours.

"I'm glad, Teal'c." Janet placed her hand on his shoulder before leaving the cubicle, pulling the curtain around the bed once again.

~Fin


End file.
